Container



Feb. 18, 1964 KASE 3,121,508

CONTAINER Filed June 4, 1962 INVENTOR. F/6f5 NATHAN KASE ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,121,508 CONTAHNER Nathan Kass, 33-44 Emeric Ave., Wantagh, N.Y., as-

signor, by mesne assignments, 'of fifty percent to Fred Landesco, Larchmoht, N.Y.

Filed June 4, 1962, Ser. No. 199,686 9 Claims. (Cl. 220-.39)

This invention relates to containers and in particular to containers of leak-proof construction.

A common type of leak-proof container is one in which the body member containing the material to be stored is provided with an externally threaded circular neck, the body member being sealed by screwing an internally threaded circular cap on to the neck. It the container is used to store a liquid which is easily poured, the body member may be of elliptical or other desired shape and the circular neck may have a relatively small cross-sectional area. However, if the material stored in the container cannot be poured, the top or mouth of the body member must be relatively wide to permit insertion of the hand or suitable implement. Thus, screw-top containers designed to store appreciable amounts of bulky or highly viscose materials have heretofore been required to have body members with openings of relatively large circular cross-sections.

Non-circular containers having openings of approximately the same cross-sectional dimensions as the body member are also avail-able. However, these containers usually have lids which must be pried off and are easily damaged, or are of a type wherein the lid is not held positively to the body member.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide an improved container.

Another object of my invention is to provide a conta-iner which is leak-proof yet has a body member with a wide non-circular mouth.

Still another object is to provide a container having a body member with a non-circular mouth and a lid which is positively secured to the body member.

Yet another object is to provide a container having a body member with a non-circular mouth and a positively held lid which may easily be removed without damage to the lid or body member.

A further object is to provide an essentially elliptical container for the storage of cigarettes and similar items which is convenient to use, is pleasing in appearance and which may be securely attached to a persons clothing.

In the present invention, a container is provided com prising an externally threaded body member having a curved mouth or opening at the top, a lid having the same shape as the mouth of the body member, and a flexible internally threaded band for securing the lid to the body member. In general, the opening at the top of the body member is non-circular in shape; that is, the cross-section seen looking down on the mouth of the container is a closed continuous non-circular curve, such as an ellipse.

The lid and band are assembled during manufacture of the container to form a cap, the lid being held between an internally projecting bead around the top of the band and the upper thread inside the band. The cap is placed on the body member by engaging the threads inside the band with the threads on the outside of the body member. As the band is turned, it rotates around the lid forcing the lid down over a recessed rim around the mouth of the body member. To remove the cap, the band is turned in the reverse direction and the lid lifted off.

3,121,508 Patented Feb. 18, 1964 "ice Since the bead at the top of the band holds the lid securely in place, the container is watertight and if necessary a suitable washer may be inserted inside the lid. Since the band is flexible, the body member and lid may have a wide variety of shapes.

My invention is particularly adapted for use as a cigarette case which may be attached to a bathing suit or other garment. in this embodiment, the body member is essentially elliptical in cross section and has an opening m the top of substantially the same cross-section as the rest of the member. Surrounding the opening is a recessed rim of slightly smaller cross-section. The lid is provided with a flange which is pressed down over the rim as the threads inside the band engage the threads on the body member, the thickness of the flange being substantially equal to the depth of the recess. On the rear of the body member is a horizontally disposed T-shaped projection fastened to the member at the center, the extensions of the T being spaced from the body member. A clip having a vertically displaced aperture slightly larger than the projection is also provided. The clip is fiastened to the body member by pressing the apertured portion over the projection with the aperture horizontal, and then rotating the clip 90* degrees to secure it to the member.

The above objects of and the brief introduction to the present invention will be more fully understood and further objects and advantages will become apparent from a study of the following description in connection with the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the components comprising my container;

FIG. 2 is a cut-away view of the assembled cap;

'FIG. 3 is a cut-away view of another embodiment of the assembled container;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the container taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top cross-sectional View of the body member taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of the clip used for fastening my container to the clothing.

in FIG. 1 there is shown an exploded view of the container which comprises a body member 10, -a lid 11, and a band 12. These parts are preferably made of a flexible, moldable material such as polyethylene plastic. Body member 10 has a substantially elliptically shaped opening 13 (as shown in the top cross-sectional view of FIG. 5), external threads 14, and a recessed rim 15. The lid 11 is also substantially elliptical in shape, the flanged portion 16 being large enough to fit over the rim 15. The band 12 is flexible and is provided with internal threads 17 and a bead 18 surrounding the upper edge of the hand.

To assemble the cap 19 (FIG. 2), lid 11 is pressed into band 12 past the threads 17 and is retained in the space between the upper thread and the bead 18. Since band 12 and lid 11 are flexible and since lid 11 is also beveled along the edge 21, the lid maybe pressed past threads 17 without damage to either component.

Cap 19 is secured to the body member by placing it over the opening 13 and turning band 12 around and relative to lid 11 thereby engaging the threads 14 on the body member with the threads 17 inside the band. When 3 equal-to the depth of recessed rim in the body member to permit the threads 17 in the band to engage the threads 14 on the body member.

Cap 19 is easily removed from the body member 10 by rotating flexible band 12 around lid 11 in the opposite direction and then lifting it off member 10. If it is desired to leave the cap off the container, it may be secured to the bottom of the body member 10 by engaging threads 17 inside band 12 with the external threads 20 at the bottom of member 10. The embodiment of my invention which includes threads 29 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings.

My container is particularly useful as a case for carrying cigarettes near or in the water since it is watertight when closed and has a wide opening 13 which is substantially equal to the overall dimensions of the body member 10. This permits the convenient insertion and removal of cigarettes. In addition, its substantially elliptical shape makes it convenient to hold and pleasing in appearance. FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the container fiile with cigarettes 22.

When used as a cigarette case, the container may be readily fastened to a bathing suit or other garment by means of a hair-pin shaped clip 23 (FIG. 6). Clip 23 is provided with a vertically extending elongated aperture or slot 26 in straight side 24 which slides over horizontally extending T-shaped projection 27. Projection 27 is atlixed to the bodymember 1d and is preferably molded as a part thereof. Clip 23 is attached to the container by holding it in a horizontal position, fitting aperture 26 over projection 27, and then rotating the clip 90 degrees to the vertical position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The clip is held to the container by the projection 27 and maintained in a vertical vorientation by positioning pins 2%; and 29 which fit into holes 30 and 31 respectively. The thickness of side 24 of clip 23 is substantially equal to the distance between the extension of projection 27 and body member 10. A locking projection 32 which projects through hole 33 in clip 23 is also provided on member 10 to secure the container tightly to the garment of the user by pressure against the curved side 25 of clip 23.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many different embodiments could be made withoutdeparting from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What isclairned is: 1. A container comprising (a) a threaded body member having a non-circular opening at the top thereof, ,(b) a lidof corresponding non-circular cross-section for covering the opening in said body member, and (c) a flexible threaded band surrounding said lid, said hand rotating relative to said lid as the threads on said band engage the threads on said body member. 2. A container comprising (a) an externally threaded body member having a noncircular opening at the top thereof, (b) a lid of corresponding non-circular cross-section for covering the opening in said body member, (0) aflexible internally threaded band surrounding said lid, said band being rotatable with respect to said lid, and (d) internally projecting means afiixed to the top of said band, said internally projecting means securing said lid over the opening in said body member when the threads on said band are engaged with the threads on said body member. 3. A container comprising (a) an externally threaded body member having a noncircular opening at the top thereof, (b) a lid of corresponding non-circular cross-section for covering the opening in said body member, (0) a flexible internally threaded band surrounding said lid, said band being rotatable with respect to said lid, and

(d) internally projecting means aflixed to the top of said band, said lid being positioned between the threads on said band and said internally projecting means, said internally projecting means securing said lid over the opening in said body member when the threads on said band are engaged with the threads on said body member.

4. A container comprising (a) an externally threaded body member having an elliptical cross-section and an elliptical opening at the top thereof, said externally threaded portion surrounding said body member adjacent said opening,

(b) a flanged lid having an elliptical cross-section, the

flange on said lid compressively engaging the external surface of said body member,

(0) a flexible'internmly threaded band surrounding said lid, said band being rotatable with respect to said lid, and

(d) internally projecting means aflixed to the top of said band, said lid being positioned between the threads on said band and said internally projecting means, said internally projecting means securing said flanged lid over the opening in said body member above said internally threaded portion when the threads on said band are engaged with the threads on said body member.

5. The container defined in claim 4 wherein said internally projecting means comprises an internally projecting bead affixed to the upper edge of said flexible band.

6. A container comprising (a) a body member having an elliptically shaped opening at the top thereof, said body member including a recessed rim surrounding said opening and an externally threaded portion adjacent said rim,

(b) an elliptically shaped flanged lid, the flange of said lid compressively engaging the external surface of the rim on said body member,

(c) a flexible internally threaded band surrounding said flanged lid and being rotatable with respect thereto, and

(d) an internally projecting bead afiixed to the top of said band for securing said lid over the opening in said body member when the threads on said band are engaged with the threads on said body member, said lid being positioned between said bead and the top of the threads on said band.

7. A container comprising (a) a body member having an elliptically shaped opening at the top thereof and an elliptically shaped bottom section, said body member including a recessed rim surrounding said opening, a first externally threaded portion adjacent said rim, and a second externally threaded portion adjacent said bottom section,

12-) an elliptically shaped flanged lid, the flange on said lid compressively engaging the external surface of the rim on said body member,

(0) a flexible internally threaded band surrounding said flanged lid and being rotatable with respect thereto, and

(d) an internally projecting bead affixed to the top of said band for securing said lid over the opening in said body member when the threads on said band are engaged with the first threaded portion on said body member, said lid being positioned between said bead and the top of the threads on said band;

8. In combination with an externally threaded body member having a non-circular opening at the top thereof,

a cap comprising (a) a flanged lid having a corresponding non-circular cross-section for covering the opening in said body member, and a flexible band surrounding said lid and being movable with respect thereto, said band including internal projecting means aflixed to the top of said band and internal threads spaced from said interna1- 1y projecting means, said flanged lid being positioned between said internally projecting means and the 5 top of said internal threads.

9. In combination with an externally threaded body member having a substantially elliptically shaped opening, a cap comprising (a) a substantially elliptically shaped flanged lid, and 10 (b) a flexible band surrounding said lid and being movable with respect thereto, said band including an internal projecting bead affixed to the top of said band and internal threads spaced from said internal- 1y projecting bead, said flanged lid being positioned 15 between said internally projecting bead and the top of said internal threads.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kirby Jan. 17, Geisler Nov. 8, Boesel Nov. 14, Hansen Dec. 10, Harris July 1,

FOREIGN PATENTS France Mar. 29, France Feb. 22,

Notice of Adverse Becisinn in Interference In Interference No. 94 488 involving Patent No. 3,121,508, N. Kass,

CONTAINER, final judgment adverse to the patentee was rendered June 3, 1965, as to clmms 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 angl 9.

[Ofiioial Gazette July 20, 1965.1 

9. IN COMBINATION WITH AN EXTERNALLY THREATED BODY MEMBER HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY ELLIPTICALLY SHAPED OPENING, A CAP COMPRISING (A) A SUBSTANTIALLY ELLIPTICALLY SHAPED FLANGED LID, AND (B) A FLEXIBLE BAND SURROUNDING SAID LID AND BEING MOVABLE WITH RESPECT THERETO, SAID BAND INCLUDING AN INTERNAL PROJECTING BEAD AFFIXED TO THE TOP OF SAID BAND AND INTERNAL THREADS SPACED FROM SAID INTERNALLY PROJECTING BEAD, SAID FLANGED LID BEING POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID INTERNALLY PROJECTING BEAD AND THE TOP OF SAID INTERNAL THREADS. 